Thousands of football enthusiasts congregated at the Annerley fields on Sunday for the World Refugee Day Festival, of which the tournament was the main drawcard.

From a modest eight-team draw in 2007, the football competition has bloomed into a 64-team event this year, with teams representing mainly African communities from across the southeast corner.

Queensland police cross cultural liaison officer Sergeant Jim Bellos has overseen the growth of the event, which has been instrumental in helping refugees settle into a new country.

Mr Beavogui arrived in Brisbane with his mother and older sister four years ago and joined Best United with his Yeronga State High School classmates.

“It’s just really, really good, because we graduated last year and stayed together this year through the club,” Mr Beavogui said.

“Everyone is so friendly on this team, that’s why I play here.”

Football referee Avi Cohen, who fled from Israel with his family to the Gold Coast nearly two decades ago, said he found his new home through the sport.

“This is the glue,” he said, pointing to a soccer ball.

“There are many cultures on the pitch, but only one religion.”

Mr Cohen said the sport was also a welcome distraction for young players, whose lives had been marred by turmoil.

“It’s a valve to release steam. For 90 minutes, the world stops and only football matters,” he said.

“It’s common ground.”

On the opposite field, the players’ families and friends served up dishes of traditional cuisine, while others gave dancing and cooking demonstrations.

“I see the diversity of everybody here,” said Sharon Orapeleng of Red Hill.

Dressed in vibrant shades of blue and orange, Ms Orapeleng said she had found a sanctuary in Brisbane after fleeing her poverty-stricken homeland of Botswana.

“Everybody comes from somewhere, but ... there’s a sense of belonging, a sense of acceptance,” she said.

“On a day like this you see how lucky we are in Brisbane, because of the diversity around us. Having left home where the majority of people were of my own kind, coming to Brisbane and seeing people from everywhere was quite unique ... and that’s why I thrive in this kind of environment.

“It’s a little global village that I enjoy being part of.”

More than 15,000 people attended the Annerley festival as part of World Refugee Week celebrations.

2 comments so far

Great work Jim and your team. Great to see our new Australians enjoying themselves playing the world game.

Commenter

Steve

Date and time

June 23, 2014, 7:51AM

All sounds very good. But I'd like to hear why this woman had to "flee" from Botswana, probably the most stable country in Africa.